From Retail floors to Entrepreneurial Doors: How one woman turned her retail experience into Ownership

Business owner Jaqueline Salinas works at her new boutique as she unleashes a new and exciting chapter in her life. Brianna Hernandez | Lariat

With eleven years of experience, a local retail worker discusses her journey as a first-time business owner. 

Situated in San Clemente California, sits Jaqueline Salinas, 29, inside her newly opened business called Shop Nouvelle, eight days after opening. She rents a space inside a post office known as The Post Stop. Salinas explains that this is just the beginning of her new career as a business woman. From working in retail, to building her own business, this is something she never saw coming. 

“Even an eighteen year old me who had no experience in retail, like if you were to tell her, in eleven years, this is where you’re gonna be, I wouldn’t believe it.” Said Salinas. 

While sitting in her new boutique, she says her journey as a retail worker was a great help. For more than ten years, she worked in retail and learned every aspect of it throughout her experience. She gained the manager title for multiple jobs, but it was not until April of 2024 that she knew she wanted to do so much more with the skills she gained. 

“I asked myself, ‘What else can I do that is better than management in retail?’” she says. “I thought about HR, but I decided not to. I talked to my mom and explained everything I knew and she said, ‘so basically you can start your own business?’ and that is when the idea popped into my head.”

After working for Janie and Jack for a couple years, Salinas decided to quit in April of 2024 and began her business-owner journey. She later worked in retail at a shop called Clementine while still trying to figure out what to do to start her own business. She saved her last paycheck from Janie and Jack and used her PTO-saved money to invest in her new dream job. 

While working in retail, she learned how to style people and give them tips and advice about fashion. She enjoys helping people and because of this, she knew she wanted to open a boutique. 

“I like when people leave and feel beautiful, it’s the best,” she says. “I love to give customers feedback because it then leads to talking about everything and anything. I like when they feel comfortable around me.”

Although she had a goal in mind, she was hesitant about starting her own business. She says she’s always “playing it safe” and almost went for working in corporate, rather than starting her own thing. She brushed off any negative thoughts and remained faithful in her own knowledge and hopes to see her business grow. 

Even now, Salinas is still nervous, but confidently she says that it is normal to feel scared when working in a new field and opening a business, since it is risky for most business owners. Her business “opening process” happened so fast, and she only had about a month to get everything sorted out and ready to open her new boutique. 

Happily, she says how grateful she feels for the support she received from her husband and mother who encouraged her to open up a business. Opening a business as a first-time business owner is difficult and she is grateful she has people who will support her through this bumpy ride no matter how it goes.

While discussing her journey, one customer walked in. She says she waits for a customer to arrive, and if she notices that the day is going rather “slow” in sales, she reminds herself of all the things she is capable of and that she knows how to make this work. 

“I always try to stay positive,” she says. “I tell myself that the knowledge to make this work is there, I just need to dig for it. You are who you surround yourself with, because you know you want to surround yourself with people that have knowledge and who are going to water your plant and help you, not dehydrate it.” 

She chooses to surround herself with people she knows will have her back, who share the same aspirations, values and support. If she is incapable of figuring something out, she knows there will be someone who has the answer and help available. 

Shop Nouvelle holds women’s and children’s clothing, and some other accessories like handbags, jewelry and children’s toys. She also spends time studying the latest fashion trends and incorporating them in her boutique to make it more relevant for shoppers. 

She hinted at opening more boutiques in the future if the first one does well. Salinas dreams of growing as a business owner and wants to hire people to help her run her business, while keeping an “authentic” shopping experience that makes customers feel special. She knows this is going to be a long ride with obstacles, but she knows it will all be worth it at the end. 

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